Merchandizing means and method

Merchandising means comprising a visual display unit, electronic imaging means coupled to said display unit by an electrical circuit which comprises a scroll facility which sequentially scrolls images and intelligence identifying articles of merchandise on a screen of said display unit,

• a command locality having command switches adjacent to and electrically coupled to said display unit, a floor overlying a loading basement, a hollow upstanding structure surmounting said floor, a surface defining an opening in said floor coaxial with said structure, an elevator having a loading platform and being movable upwardly into the hollow of said structure from said loading basement,
• said structure comprising a storage facility containing shelves and divisions defining a grid of storage compartments,
• a plurality of robots each having driving means electrically coupled to and controlled by command switches, said compartments being accessible by said robots,
• a descent conveyor external of said structure but accessible by said robots for depositing articles from said compartments onto said descent conveyor, a packaging conveyor, and a transfer conveyor operative between said descent conveyor and said packaging station to transfer articles released onto said transfer conveyor by said descent conveyor and transfer to said packaging station, and
• a plurality of upstanding columns spaced circumferentially around said structure, a plurality of robot carriage guides each extending between adjacent columns, said robots being movable along a respective said robot carriage guide, each said robot carriage guide terminating in elevating carriages which engage surfaces of said columns for vertical movement.